Five throne speech health promises

The Conservatives consumer-first throne speech contains several promises in the health sector, many of which we’ve heard before. iPolitics brings you the top five health issues in the speech.

1) No new supervised injection sites

The Conservatives intend to re-introduce and pass the controversial Respect for Communities Act, which gives communities a louder voice in deciding where a supervised safe injection site can open. The legislation has been heavily criticized by the opposition and experts in the medical field who believe the tighter regulations will make it almost impossible for new supervised injection sites to open their doors.

Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in Canada, one that the Harper government intends to address by expanding its National Anti-Drug Abuse Strategy.

Sticking to its mandate of protecting Canadian families, the government will expand its National Anti-Drug Abuse Strategy, which aims to create safer and healthier communities by raising awareness and understanding of the potentially harmful effects of illicit drugs. The program, introduced in 2007, also attempts to prevent youth from using drugs like opioids by developing community-based intervention programs.

According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Canada is the second largest users of prescription opioids.

3) Tighten loopholes for illicit drugs

The government plans to follow through on Health Minister Rona Ambrose’s vow to tighten restrictions around the use of illicit drugs, including heroin and LSD. The news comes just two weeks after the health minister announced immediate changes to Canada’s Food and Drugs Act, banning doctors from prescribing heroin, LSD, magic mushrooms and other illicit drugs under Health Canada’s Special Access Program.

The House of Commons Order Paper for Wednesday indicated the minister is planning to reintroduce An Act to Amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

4) Renew investments in health research around dementia

In a move that will make scientists happy, the federal government will renew investments in health research to help tackle dementia and other related illnesses. With a growing elderly population, the number of Canadians living with Alzheimer’s is expected to rise from 747,000 1.4 million by 2031, states the Alzheimer’s Society. There is no cure or known cause for the debilitating disease.

“The time is now for the federal government to work with Canada’s provinces and territories on transforming our health care system to put patients first,” said a spokesperson for the Canadian Medical Association on Tuesday when asked what they hoped to see in the Throne Speech.

The CMA told iPolitics they hoped to see the government make mention of a National Dementia Strategy, incorporating research, caregiver support and respite care.

It’s unclear how the government will go about investing in dementia research, and how much money they will put towards the move.

5) Injury Prevention

In the Throne Speech, the Harper government has committed to working with injury prevention organizations to reduce injury rates in Canada, and promote physical activity. Several health and fitness organizations have been calling on the federal government to create a pan-Canadian Physical Activity Strategy.

Obesity levels among Canadian children have nearly tripled in the last three decades, putting kids at risk of developing serious obesity-related illnesses. In addition, today’s kids are less likely to participate in sports than one decade ago. According to Statistics Canada, participation in sport dropped to 28 per cent in 2005 from 45 per cent in 1992.

And their parents are at risk too. Nearly 60 per cent of men and 45 per cent of women were at a higher health risk last year because of excess weight, states data from Stats Canada.

Other tidbits:

Stop insurance companies employers from discriminating against Canadians on the basis of genetic testing

Help seniors access information about necessary programs and facilities in their communities.